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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Inkie Interview! Meet MyCraft!

In this week's Inkie Interviews (where we interview REAL writers from Inkpop) we're meeting MyCraft or Hayley. So give her a warm welcome!

Hello to all! My name is Hayley and I am from a small town just outside Edinburgh, Scotland.I've been on inkpop for almost a year now (which seems to have just flow in!) and have been surprised by the helpfulness and giving Inkies I've met there online.

I'm quite a late starter in writing, as some would say, although I did write as a youngster. I'll be 29 this year! O.O

I write mostly Fantasy and Paranormal but sometimes, if the mood strikes me, I tend to write a little poetry as well. On inkpop you'll find me mostly on the Royalty Shines thread or the daily Procrastinators thread also.

I've only finished one book (which I'm currently editting again) out of the four on my profile and I'll possibly be adding another 2 this year (the third book, The Hangman's Noose, of The Black Craft Series and a new series, The Quixwood Sisters.)

I'm the type of person to take a bad critique to heart so please, if you read my books, don't rip it to shreds! I love constructive criticism but loath rudeness. I find it intolerable. If I see someone treating a fellow Inkie the same way I tend to get upset about that too.

Hayley also has a website diary of two girls in her Quixwood Series (found here).

How long have you been writing and have you always wanted to be a writer?

I was writing when I was very young, just silly little things a little girl would like but it's always been something I was passionate about. English Literature was always my favourite class in Secondary/High School and often got good grades or praise from my teachers.

I sorta lost hope for a while and gave up on writing and tried to find myself another passion. I did find many other things but none made me feel quite as passionate as putting pen to paper.

Then I read Harry Potter XDThat changed everything for me. Since then I've been hit over and over again with ideas for books and, though I didn't read the (Harry Potter) books till recent years, I've come quite far I think.

Looking at your projects, I see that you have several up. What is your Black Craft series about and where did you get the idea?

The Black Craft has been with me a while. It had been festering up in my imagination for some time and (again) then I read Harry Potter, so I decided to do something about it.

The MC, Billie Black, is a normal girl whose led a fairly average life until the night before her 18th birthday. She learns her true lineage and that her family, and herself, are all in fact Witches. She's faced with many lessons and trials and soon has to over come a great evil in her small town Penn Gate, NY.

She's very fortunate to have such a large family, which seems to grow as I continue to write the Series. First her boyfriends family becomes hers, then a Were pack and other humans/Witches/Vampires/Creatures along the way.

But, of course, as her family grows so does the long list of enemies she must face throughout the Series until we reach the end of the 3rd book (The Hangmans' Noose) where Billie is left with a life shattering choice to make. (Which I shan't reveal here)

Two of your other books sound interesting, Going Under and Rebel, Rebel, like the last question, what are they about?

Rebel Rebel - this book is actually based upon 3 lovely inkies from the Royalty Shines thread. ShardsofGlass, Nikita S. and Strawberries. Three very different girls who live in Tennessee get caught up in a horrible meteor crash.

The after effects see the girls changing, growing stronger and becoming powerful. But unfortunately there is someone in the world who is very aware of said strengths and powers and takes advantage of the girls.

Soon, seperate from each other, they have become the super powered teenage assassins each with their own target to take care of only the targets seem to be chasing after them instead.

It's not long before one of the girls discovers they've been deceived and used.

Going Under - this is actually a modern day take on two classic fairytales. Cinderella and the Little Mermaid.Reese Rhodes moves to Damariscotta, Maine to live with her grandfather after the death of her Dad. There she meets new friends and a girl who sings in the water called Isla.

But there is an old friend of her grandfather's that is convinced that Reese is part Mermaid. In testing this theory he almosts drowns the poor girl and has to run from the Police so that he may return to try, try, try again. Reese and her friends begin to fear for Isla's safety too so they send her away until the man is caught and put behind bars.

Which do you enjoy writing more, books or poetry? Which is the easiest for you?

Books, for sure :)

I took a look at your website and it looks quite interesting and cool. Did you make it yourself or did you have someone else do it?I'm hopeless at making sites so I had help from a fellow inkie. I did however manage just recently to create an In-Character Diary/Blog to help me plot out my latest idea.

If you weren't a writer, what would you be? Or how would you spend your time?

I'd be a Photographer probably or I'd be either owner of a small bakery (cupcakes and the likes) or a pet shop owner. I'm mad about my Dalmatian, Polly!

Although you seem to be busy working on several different stories, do you ever get Writer's block and how do you combat it?

I have a few times when I get this I just go read Harry Potter again and the inspiration comes back to me :)

Do you enjoy reading the same things as you write?

Absolutely! I love the likes of Harry Potter (of course!), Vampire Academy, House of Night series and True Blood.So mostly Fantasy/Paranormal with a good dash or Romance and Adventure in each too :)

If you could meet your idol (or maybe you've already met them) and you could spend a day with them, who would it be and what would you do?

J.K. Rowling. I'd probably discuss her books and future plans for several hours first! And then, I'm not sure, do something neither of us would normally do like Sky diving. Nah, I wouldn't do that! XD I'd die of fear!

Verses outlining your book or writing it as you go, which would you say works better for you or do you do both?

I have tried to sit and plot out my ideas, but it tends not to work out the way I planned XDI think, when I start to write, some other part of my brain decided to do things differently.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?Salem. I've never been and I've based the second book, The Salem Mystique, of The Black Craft series there.Actually, there are several different places in my books, mostly in America, that I haven't been to yet so I would, if I could, do them all!

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